Sometimes budgeting and managing your money at university can be difficult. It is essential to make sure before coming to university you know how much money you have and to budget for daily expenses like food and travel. If you find you’re going to be low on money it may be worth getting a part time job whilst you’re studying.
Time management
Most degrees don’t have full weeks of contact hours, although doing a degree is classed as being in full time education, if you manage your time right you may have time for a part time job. The best advice I was given when looking for a university was to treat my degree like a 9-5 job. To get up and work around my lectures Monday to Friday from 9-5pm, this will ensure I have enough time for revision and tutorial work but will also mean I have my evenings and weekends free to either go home, socialise, have time to myself or possibly work. I would pass this advice on to anyone who asks me anything about university as I feel it is valuable advice that has really helped me get to where I am now in my degree.
Student Ambassador
I haven’t found budgeting at university easy; I knew that I needed to get a job to earn a little more money. I found out about being a Student Ambassador at the freshers’ fair during my first week at Surrey, I applied, went through the interview and selection process and got the job. I have now been an ambassador for one and a half years and have thoroughly enjoyed every second of it. It is a fun, rewarding job that has not only earnt me money, but has boosted my public speaking, enhanced my confidence and generally added to my overall university experience. Being a student ambassador is extremely flexible, you can do as many or as little jobs as you wish, they are published on a portal and you just apply for the ones you are able to do, and which don’t clash with your timetable. This has been extremely convenient for me because I haven’t been tied to a certain set of hours. The jobs are varied so you can choose the ones which appeal most to you.
Unitemps
The University of Surrey is in partnership with an organisation called Unitemps. They are based on campus and advertise all the jobs in the area, they help you with the application and provide you with a detailed explanation of the job. They are there to help you find the job that works for you.
Other jobs on campus
There are also many other jobs on campus, students pass through the university all the time and therefore the facilities always require new staff. For example, you could work in Rubix (the student nightclub), you could work in one of the many coffeeshops, restaurants or bars such as Lakeside, Hillside, Heart&Soul or Wates. There is also a Starbucks on the main Stag Hill Campus and at the sports park which offer students jobs. There is also a bookshop called Appleseed and a convenience store called Simply Fresh which offer jobs. Finally, there is also the opportunity to work at the sports park which is on Manor Park campus and about a 20-minute walk from Stag Hill. All these jobs pay well and don’t ask you to commit to too many hours, they understand you are a student and that your degree comes first and therefore employ a large amount of staff to cover the shifts.
Jobs in town
Lastly, there are a range of possible jobs available in town. Students often work in Guildford town so again they have a constant change in staff meaning they are always employing. There are a large amount of clothing shops so it’s ideal if you’d like to work in retail or if you like hospitality, there’s a huge variety of restaurants and cafes.
